COPY 

OFi'IcE OF TX% ATTOW-- OZX%RAL OF TI~XAL 

AUSTXN 

Wmld C. Mann 

Attorney aollwal 

Honoxmblo H. A. Hod&es 

couaty Auditor 

ulll1eme0n oouaty 

606t6OtmI. mxu 

Deer Sfr: 

Oplnloa Ho. O-182s 

Ret Doer the Coolmissioners' Court 

hew logel euthmltp to pay the 

ju8tloe of the pee00 end oonrteblr 

8semlaLng trial teea in oe88a ooming 

under the "Bad Cheek Law"? And 

related queetlon8. 

Your reoent nqusst Sor ea opinion of thle department 

on the qwstlon8 e8 are herein dated har been reoelved. 

We quote from your letter as r0lm8t 

%lndlp refer to the followFag ertlales ln ths Code 

or Crlmlnel F'rooehro~ a-t. 1020, ?Bemlnlng Trlela, Felony 

Caeer, payable by thr County, or state, after 1nClotaenti 

Art. 1071, Slanlnaln~ Trlelr, Xlsdoineanor oaae1, payable by 

derendant after oonvlotlon; Art. 1052 ?2.50 Bee of the 

p~geg the Poaar for each ease tried and disposed of 

. 

The 46th Legislature, Rogulu Ses~lon, passed the 

'Bed Cheok Law*, I-!. B. Ho. 190, and \tdQer seation 5 states 

the Offloor serving groae88, in or out of the aouutp, 

shall be oompenoated aa thou& the oifenea were a telony 

in grade. 

"This law has oaused some aontentlon iron the Justice 

of the Peaoe end Constables that they are entitled to the 

payment froa t&e County In ;sramining Trials was6loned by 

the wording Ias though the ofronse v.ore a felony ln grade*, 

end have illed olalms ior payment. 
llonorabid II. A. Rodger, pa8e a 

Xlndly r6ndu me an oginlon in an6wer to the follow- 

* question*, 

"1. Doe6 ttm Co0ml66ionor6~ Caart have logal euthorltt 

t0 pay tha JUatlOb Of the Foeoo ukd ConrUb m6Anl6g 

Prlel to66 in oa606 oomlng under the *Bed Cheek’ I,ew~? 

"2. 16 there any obanga In the'Eraalnlnc Trial foe6 

a6 set out ln htiOlb0 1029 and lm) C. C. T. oaaagionod 

by the bMota6nt of the *Bed Oheok hw*, or 6fq other law? 

-3. H. 8. No, 505 46th Lsg., Pigular Sesaloa, deal6 

with Costs and Foe8 in d rdomaenor Carrr, 'Jndrr this Bill 

will the Conetable .;r Justloo or the Psaao be bntitlbd to 

thb Sxfuninln~~ Trial Foss where the deiendrst Serve6 tb6 

Fine nnd Coot8 in jail, under the Bad Weok Law conviction 

or Udbr any othsr law?* 

Seatloa 5 of Artlo 567-b. Vornon’8 Penal Cod., 

read6 a6 r0imt8: 

*In all pro6e6utlon6 unaor reotlonr 1, 2, and 3 or 

this Aot, >rooeea l hall br iS6Ubd and eemvod lathe ooounty 

or out of the county where the pro6eautlon 1s 2endln,: end 

have the s-8 blndlng foror an6 srteot es thou& the orrense 

bolu proreauted were a elonyi and all offloera 18rulng 

and 6ervlng 6uch process 5n or out of the oounty wherein the 

proaeaution 16 psndlhg, ana all witnee6er rm rlthln or 

wltko;lt the oounty Nhoreln th6 pro6ooution ir pbnding, shall 

be. aompenseted la like nannor a6 thowh the ofienre were a 

iblOW in grade.’ 

Articles 1071 and 1072, Codr or Criminal Proaodure, 

nab6 a6 r0li0w6a 

*Artio1e 1071. Juatloer 0r thm;poeob w,ho sit as 

an examlnlna oourt in ml6dmeanor aa shall be entitled 

to the 6auie reeo allowed by law to 6uoh justioee for 

sliallarenlaes in the trial 0r 6u6h aasea, not to bxaaob 

three dollar6 ln any one oa66, to bo paid,by the defendant 

in oa6r.~ofinal aonviatlon." 

~Artlalo lOT2. sh6rlffs Md 6OnStRbleS Sbming 

proaeas 6ad ettsndln5 any exa&lalng oourt ln the bxamlnatlon 

or a ~addmuor OQSO shall bo antitld to euoh tees ae are 

allowed by law ror slail~ 6bnloo6 In tha trial 0r 8uoh 

oase6, not to bxoeod three dollar6 in any one aas,& to ba 

paid by the defendant in oa6e or rim ooavlatlon. 
. - 

Honornbla H. A. nod&OS, p”&e b 

Art1010 lOe0, Oodb of Crtolaal Proaedure, proVl&eg 

fr~r fa r l rouatp Jud.tp or l jurtloo or the pea6e whn Sit6 a6 

en l adab3 00urt In a rbl0w oe60, d al60 prorid r0r 

obr ta rob la 6 for l hbrirrr sad 0038tabloa 66nln; NV0066 afid 

l ttoadla8 guy l xentla oo* ln~ in thb uraa:neticdi 0r eny talOny 

bee.. uIb6.r th$S StitUb thb di6triOt Uld OOuty ettoX’My8 

ar6 l ntltlti to osrtein aom~aratlon $or l ttendl= 6ad bro666ut.. 

b& My rOiOW 066O bbfOZW M bICb&niag 00~1% 

The ooway 0rriom8 or ‘rllllnfason c0binty are 0~ 

pbnmtbb 02 an enawl aaluy baalr, and Sootion 17 or :.rtlole 

391”. ~X-OVidbS tSutt 

“In oo~tles whersln the oounty Oi%.?ers nsmd in 

this AOot era ecupomat*c? on the baa16 0r a? nnnuel Salary, 

thb dase of axa ah611 not be oharged nit!: and shall mA 

pay any ire or oomi66lon to aay 

SbIViMS by hia pbrfombd, but 66 fl" 

solnot otflosr ror any 

d atf~abr 6hall be pet& 

by the aounty out oi tha afflaua~ Sal&r; Fund suah tesa 

and aorpmissloal a6 ., WAC othuwln be pal& hla by thr :itata 

for malt. l ervlaea.* 

.:a u,ieh to aall your att3ntIon to o~lnlons X0. 04X35, 

04335 anl Ct-lb67 of this Ca?#%snt, wrIttea by IIonorable Uok 

ctout, ao3lcr of ukich am httno*,bd, In rbapbat to Leatlon 5 of 

Qtlolo 567-b. aupra, 

In view of the for6~oIn~ atatutbr~ you am res 

a 

t-4 

adrloed that it is the oplnlon 0r tals thperta.~nt that ale 569-b, 

Vornon*r Penal Code (O~~Oaly rezerrod to e6 the Iiad Chaok Law) 

doss fmt uiund or repeal Art10166 1020, 1071 and 1072 of th6 Cod6 

or c?lmInal. Proo6duro, ~ertelniag to stain6 trielr. Tha oouaty 

is not obligated to pey the rxaainin,~ tiriel fe~pr In mi6demunor 

aes66 but swh t606 are to be assessed e8 pert Oi ths 006t6 rgalnrt 

tha defondazt and are to bo paid b.:~ hi& upon fIna; aonriation. 

Ro~evor, the don .lselonsrs~ aoiirt hsa the lab3el 3uthorIty to pay 

the JustIae Ott the pace ii& the oonststh erublf.~ trial fess 

ln fe1ony oases ocmi?: .: UCsr tAe “lab o:~a+~law” vl;e:o t!le aoiity 

orrioerb arb ooiqmxatel on an annuhl salnry bRai anO %Mr-s tSo 

preaizot osl"Ictx-6 are ooaaenaetsd on (I fee baslr. 

our anmar io your tlrct question neo66earlly wiwsrs 

your 8eaand Question. 

mU8b Bill HO. m, .AOt& Of the FQrtpSiXth h3iShtUIV~ 

refermd to in your tAr6 qusatlon, 1s brought r0md In Vssn0n*a 

Code of GrImlnal rrooadun aa Artiolb 1055 snd provtider that8 
Eonoxnble H. A. Hodges, pqo 4 

Wi.m oounty 0hall not bo lloblo to the omorr 

and wltnooo having eoots in l miodenoanor ouo uhexv 

dOrOILdOd p0y0 hi8 ri.W 0Jld OOOtO~ m SO&y #ha b0 

llablo ror 0n0-hOir 0r thr s00O. 0r th0 orflooro 0r thO 

court, when tho dofondant fail0 to m hi8 flae and 

lays his rln8 oat in th0 Oountr Jr11 or dl80h~g88 th0 

saw by mmaao or wo*ln6 l u0h tin0 out on the oount 

roads or on any oouatr projrot. And to 

0r 000t4, th0 county cl0* ohal i00~0 0 warrant on 

tho County Tnaouror in favor of euoh oStlo8r to bo paid 

out or tho Road and Bridge run4 or other rundr not othu- 

~100 ap~roprlntod~w 

Art10100 1071 and 1072, cods or Crlmlnal Prooedure, 

aupra, provldss that rOaO in exaalnl~ courto in mlodrmoanor 

oases shall bo p&la by the defendant in oaao of ttial oonrlotlon, 

merrrore, you~.ar* adrlood that oxadning trial r0+30 in mlodanoanor 

oases oan be texed as coots against the dofondant in oao0 of rlnal 

oonriotlon and where the dWmlant doe0 not pay his fin8 and ooot 

and 8bdi6rior the Mnle by lapin; bi6 rlna out in t!m ooulty Jail 

or dlsohargoo by meano or working 0uoh iin0 out on the oounty 

road or any oounty projeot, the juatloel 0r the pmo0 and oonotabl0 

would be entitled to one-half OS the exaalnln~ trial fess as oorto 

under Artlo 1055, Cod0 of Crlmlml Prooedure, aupm. 

such era~lnlq trial fees can be ool3eoted only after 0u??%%ln~ 

trial ha0 aotuakly beon held. 

It 10 to be untisrotom! that we do not pass upon the 

oo.?etltutlonallty of Article 1071 of the Code of Orlminal Proosduro, oupra l 

Trustin& that the iongoing tully lnswemyour inquiry, 

we ramaln 

Youra tory tnrly